The Distracted Dreamer

Carlene Bauwens
  • 5.0 (19)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

Get ready to confidently and unapologetically go after dreams! Welcome to The Distracted Dreamer Podcast. Today is the day you’re going to pull your dreams off the shelf and bring them to the forefront of your life. You are never too tired, too busy, too old, too young, too anything to pursue your dreams. Imagine… the joy and excitement of doing what lights you up. Your dreams are yours. No one gets to take them from you and no one gets to chase them - except you. Your dreams are there to guide you, to inspire you and to show you that yes, there is something more in store for you. You see, the size of your dreams don’t matter - it could be running a marathon, reading a book series, perfecting that family recipe, traveling the world, or learning to dance. I’m Carlene Bauwens, entrepreneur,  Life Coach and now host of The Distracted Dreamer podcast. I’m here to show you how to kick distraction to the curb and grab hold of your dreams. Your happiness matters. You have a big, beautiful, amazing life to live. And you've only got one of them. Welcome to the Distracted Dreamer Podcast.

  1. 3d ago

    #93: Encore: How to Lead Yourself Through Midlife — and Why the People You Love Need You To

    Send Carlene a text or voicemail We don't talk about this enough: the years after raising kids, after caregiving, after decades of showing up for everyone else — those years are not the winding down. They are not the epilogue. They are a new chapter opening, and it might just be the most powerful one of your life. You are not who you were in your thirties. You are wiser. You have less patience for what doesn't matter and more clarity about what does. You've lived through enough to know that time is not infinite — and that is not a sad thing. That is a clarifying thing. So what are you going to do with that clarity? That's what this episode is about. I walk you through what it really means to lead yourself in this season: claiming your dreams, advocating for your health, and showing up as the woman you've been becoming all along. You’ll learn three simple daily practices to start leading your own life on purpose, starting today, because someday is now. 💡 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:  1️⃣ What self-leadership actually looks like when your body, your dreams, and your identity are all shifting at once 2️⃣ The clarity you've earned through everything you've lived? That's your superpower. 3️⃣ When you choose yourself in this season, the people watching you learn what's possible — that's a legacy SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER: The Tuesday Letter with Carlene right here DOWNLOAD THE FREE START DREAMING AGAIN GUIDE Check out all my coaching and course offerings - Coachcarlene.com MORE FROM ME Follow me on Instagram:  @coach_carlene SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps me reach more dreamers who need these insights. 🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to the Distracted Dreamer Podcast! See you next week! FOLLOW NOW Also, if you haven't done so already, follow the podcast. I'm adding episodes every week, and if you're not folllowing, there's a good chance you'll miss out. Follow now! Episode Website

  2. Aug 10

    #92: The Only Two Things You Need To Make Progress On Your Dreams

    Send Carlene a text or voicemail We're more than halfway through the year, and if I'm honest, I'm not as far along on my dreams as I thought I'd be by now. Maybe you're right there with me. So today, we're going back to the basics I talked about almost two years ago. What consistency really is.How getting impatient with results sets you back, and what to do instead.How mindset isn't a feeling, it's a decision.Why waiting to feel like it isn't a strategy.The true value of fifteen minutes every day.And how to finally trust yourself to follow through.3 Key Takeaways From This Episode: 1️⃣ You'll realize there's never a perfect time to start. 2️⃣ You'll know you can show up imperfectly and still make progress. 3️⃣ You'll recognize the moment where most people quit, right before it would've paid off SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER: The Tuesday Letter with Carlene right here DOWNLOAD THE FREE START DREAMING AGAIN GUIDE Check out all my coaching and course offerings - Coachcarlene.com MORE FROM ME Follow me on Instagram:  @coach_carlene SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps me reach more dreamers who need these insights. 🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to the Distracted Dreamer Podcast! See you next week! FOLLOW NOW Also, if you haven't done so already, follow the podcast. I'm adding episodes every week, and if you're not folllowing, there's a good chance you'll miss out. Follow now! Episode Website

  3. Aug 3

    #91: Never Say "Let Me Know If You Need Anything" To Someone Struggling

    Send Carlene a text or voicemail What if the biggest predictor of your health at 80 has nothing to do with cholesterol or exercise, and everything to do with how satisfied you are with your relationships at the age of 50? Real human connection, not chatting in the comments on social media, isn't just nice to have. It's tied to how long and how well we live and I’m sharing the research with you. A check-in from a friend is the best remedy when you're going through a tough time. And you can be that friend who checks in on others too. Today, we're talking about the two thoughts that are quietly stopping you from checking in on the people you love and why we hold back. You'll learn three small simple shifts that will make the check-ins feel like care instead of pressure. I'm also breaking down exactly why "let me know if you need anything" is adding to the load someone is already carrying instead of feeling like comfort and what to do instead. 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE  1️⃣ You don’t need a reason to tell someone you care about them. 2️⃣ Someone you care about needs to know someone (AKA You) is thinking of them.  3️⃣ The "Been thinking about you" text is the beginning of the conversation someone needs. SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER: The Tuesday Letter with Carlene right here DOWNLOAD THE FREE START DREAMING AGAIN GUIDE Check out all my coaching and course offerings - Coachcarlene.com MORE FROM ME Follow me on Instagram:  @coach_carlene SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps me reach more dreamers who need these insights. 🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to the Distracted Dreamer Podcast! See you next week! FOLLOW NOW Also, if you haven't done so already, follow the podcast. I'm adding episodes every week, and if you're not folllowing, there's a good chance you'll miss out. Follow now! Episode Website

  4. Jul 27

    #90: When Your Dream Stops Being Fun and Feels Like Too Much Effort

    Send Carlene a text or voicemail Have you been more focused on the effort of your dream lately than the fun of it? Are you constantly replaying that soundtrack of, "This is hard, like, so much harder than I thought," or, "This is taking so much longer than I thought it would"? If you find yourself wondering how you ever thought your dream was going to be fun, you are in the right place today. Because today we're talking about how effort and fun, they actually go hand in hand when you're doing the reps to bring your dream to life. We tend to assume that if something is worth doing, it should feel light — and the second it doesn't, we panic. But there's real research on this, and it says the opposite of what we assume. It's called the effort paradox, and it explains why the hardest part of your dream might be exactly what makes the reward feel real. I'm also bringing in the IKEA effect — a study on why we love the things we build with our own hands, and the one condition that has to be true for that love to actually stick. Plus a simple seven-minute journaling exercise to help you find the fun again when it's gone quiet on you. 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE 1️⃣"This is hard, and this is fun." Two things, both true, at the same time.  2️⃣ The fun has to be findable. That's the test.  3️⃣ The more effort you put in, the more it's going to mean to you when it's done. SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER: The Tuesday Letter with Carlene right here DOWNLOAD THE FREE START DREAMING AGAIN GUIDE Check out all my coaching and course offerings - Coachcarlene.com MORE FROM ME Follow me on Instagram:  @coach_carlene SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps me reach more dreamers who need these insights. 🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to the Distracted Dreamer Podcast! See you next week! FOLLOW NOW Also, if you haven't done so already, follow the podcast. I'm adding episodes every week, and if you're not folllowing, there's a good chance you'll miss out. Follow now! Episode Website

  5. Jul 20

    #89: How to Know If Complacency Is Slowly Killing Your Dreams: 5 Questions to Ask Now

    Send Carlene a text or voicemail You know that great year you had with your spouse? The one where things finally felt easy? Somewhere in there, date night disappeared, conversations turned into scheduling logistics, and that loving feeling faded. You got comfortable. Things were fine, even good. And somewhere along the way you stopped doing the things that created it. That's complacency. And it happens to all of us, in our relationships, money, jobs, and dreams. Today, we're talking about the difference between complacency and vigilance. We'll do the math on what it's costing you to be complacent and how to stay vigilant and enjoy the good place you're in at the same time. You'll answer five questions to help you see where in your life complacency has quietly snuck in and catch it before you get surprised if and when everything goes sideways. 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE  1️⃣ The things that got you to a good place — the check-ins, the effort, the attention — are the same things you have to keep doing once you're there.  2️⃣ Vigilance isn't about being fearful. It's about being watchful so you keep the momentum going.  3️⃣ A good year is a data point, not a finish line. SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER: The Tuesday Letter with Carlene right here DOWNLOAD THE FREE START DREAMING AGAIN GUIDE Check out all my coaching and course offerings - Coachcarlene.com MORE FROM ME Follow me on Instagram:  @coach_carlene SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps me reach more dreamers who need these insights. 🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to the Distracted Dreamer Podcast! See you next week! FOLLOW NOW Also, if you haven't done so already, follow the podcast. I'm adding episodes every week, and if you're not folllowing, there's a good chance you'll miss out. Follow now! Episode Website

  6. Jul 14

    #88: When You've Invested So Much In A Dream That No Longer Lights You Up: 5 Questions To Ask

    Send Carlene a text or voicemail Have you ever stayed in a dream, a job, a project, or even a relationship just because of how much you've already invested? In today's episode, we're talking about the sunk cost fallacy — the sneaky trap that convinces you that walking away means everything you already gave was wasted. It wasn't. And staying just to prove it wasn't wasted might be costing you more than you realize. I'll walk you through five questions to help you know whether you're moving forward because you believe in it, or staying stuck because of what it cost you to get here. 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE: 1️⃣ The real cost of staying isn't what you spent — it's what it's taking from you right now. 2️⃣ Quitting something doesn't erase what it taught you. 3️⃣ You're allowed to grieve something and still know it's time to let it go. SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER: The Tuesday Letter with Carlene right here DOWNLOAD THE FREE START DREAMING AGAIN GUIDE Check out all my coaching and course offerings - Coachcarlene.com MORE FROM ME Follow me on Instagram:  @coach_carlene SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps me reach more dreamers who need these insights. 🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to the Distracted Dreamer Podcast! See you next week! FOLLOW NOW Also, if you haven't done so already, follow the podcast. I'm adding episodes every week, and if you're not folllowing, there's a good chance you'll miss out. Follow now! Episode Website

  7. Jul 6

    #87: What Rory Vaden Taught Me About Why My Dream Keeps Waiting

    Send Carlene a text or voicemail Have you ever ended a week knowing your dream didn't move — and you're not even sure why? You weren't scrolling all day. You weren't being careless. You were handling real things for real people. And somehow the thing that matters most to you got buried under all of it. That's what Rory Vaden calls priority dilution, and it's the one type of procrastination most of us never see coming. In this episode, I'm breaking down all three types of procrastination from his book Take the Stairs, then going deep on the one that's most likely getting in your way right now. I'll also share the inbox metaphor that shifted how I think about my own attention, and four steps I'm using to protect my dreams without guilt. 3 Key Takeaways From This Episode: 1️⃣ The realization that every interruption felt reasonable in the moment, and that’s exactly what makes this so hard to see. 2️⃣ You get to choose your focus and deliberately put your dream at the top. 3️⃣ Permission to protect your dream time without having to earn it, announce it, or justify it to anyone. Resources From This Episode: Take the Stairs: 7 Steps to Achieving True Success SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER: The Tuesday Letter with Carlene right here DOWNLOAD THE FREE START DREAMING AGAIN GUIDE Check out all my coaching and course offerings - Coachcarlene.com MORE FROM ME Follow me on Instagram:  @coach_carlene SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps me reach more dreamers who need these insights. 🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to the Distracted Dreamer Podcast! See you next week! FOLLOW NOW Also, if you haven't done so already, follow the podcast. I'm adding episodes every week, and if you're not folllowing, there's a good chance you'll miss out. Follow now! Episode Website

  8. Jun 29

    #86: The Difference Between Quitting and Completing a Dream

    Send Carlene a text or voicemail I sat down to record this week thinking, honestly, that I had nothing left to say.   And instead of pretending otherwise, I decided to talk about that. About what it feels like when a dream goes quiet, and how you tell the difference between a hard week and a finished chapter.   We've all picked up the idea that if something is truly your dream, it should feel exciting. It should be easy to want. When it doesn't, we read that as proof we chose wrong.   The question is, are you holding onto something you still want or just holding on out of habit?  We're not landing on a clean answer here. That's not how this works.  But we are going to talk about what that question actually means, and why the fact that you're still asking it might be the most honest thing you've got right now.  3 Key Take Aways From This Episode 1️⃣ You can be fully inside your dream and still have days where you'd rather be anywhere else. That's just what it feels like to be in something real.  2️⃣ There's a difference between quitting and completing, and knowing which one you're actually looking at changes what you do next.  3️⃣ When someone else's dream looks steady and certain from the outside it is often just them showing up anyway, on the bad days too. SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER: The Tuesday Letter with Carlene right here DOWNLOAD THE FREE START DREAMING AGAIN GUIDE Check out all my coaching and course offerings - Coachcarlene.com MORE FROM ME Follow me on Instagram:  @coach_carlene SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps me reach more dreamers who need these insights. 🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to the Distracted Dreamer Podcast! See you next week! FOLLOW NOW Also, if you haven't done so already, follow the podcast. I'm adding episodes every week, and if you're not folllowing, there's a good chance you'll miss out. Follow now! Episode Website

See All (94)

Trailer

5
out of 5
19 Ratings

About

Get ready to confidently and unapologetically go after dreams! Welcome to The Distracted Dreamer Podcast. Today is the day you’re going to pull your dreams off the shelf and bring them to the forefront of your life. You are never too tired, too busy, too old, too young, too anything to pursue your dreams. Imagine… the joy and excitement of doing what lights you up. Your dreams are yours. No one gets to take them from you and no one gets to chase them - except you. Your dreams are there to guide you, to inspire you and to show you that yes, there is something more in store for you. You see, the size of your dreams don’t matter - it could be running a marathon, reading a book series, perfecting that family recipe, traveling the world, or learning to dance. I’m Carlene Bauwens, entrepreneur,  Life Coach and now host of The Distracted Dreamer podcast. I’m here to show you how to kick distraction to the curb and grab hold of your dreams. Your happiness matters. You have a big, beautiful, amazing life to live. And you've only got one of them. Welcome to the Distracted Dreamer Podcast.

Information

  • Creator
    Carlene Bauwens
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    94
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Coach Carlene
  • Show Website
    The Distracted Dreamer